Don’t Rely On Google For Web Sales

Though there are tips and tricks you can implement to boost your biz to the top of Google searches, the real problem is sales.

“Think of traffic like water pouring into a bucket,” says Bryan Eisenberg, executive vice president of Web marketing firm Future Now in New York City. “No matter how much water there is, it’s not going to stay if the bucket has holes. Pay attention to the balancing act of ranking well in search engines and getting sales out of those who make it there.”

Your potential customer needs to have a good experience on your site. The first obstacle: There’s too much going on in your homepage. The user doesn’t know what to do first.

“The goal is to make sure that a first time renter is feeling comfortable each step of the way,” says Eisenberg. “Another tactic to gain that trust is by explaining the process, from reserving the property, to paying, to getting the keys, to checking out. Do this prominently on the site, perhaps in a sidebar that’s on all the listing pages.”

Keep in mind that you are in a very big space, competing with large realty companies. Though there’s certainly enough to go around, our experts suggest finding your customers through social networking, instead of relying entirely on search engines.

“Getting involved in social media will help you rank better, thanks to links, and be trusted, thanks to community,” Wright says. Two outlets to consider are Twitter and Facebook. “Also, to fish where the fish are, get your site on directories such as dmoz.org.”

Consider blogging about travel destinations, as well, to entice community involvement. Then, make sure your blog is accessible through sites such as technorati.com.